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COVID-19

COVID-19 Fraud Task Force Sees Successes in Cases Against Scammers

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

In a notable effort to combat the widespread COVID-19 pandemic, the District of Idaho's COVID-19 Fraud Task Force has made significant headway in prosecuting cases related to pandemic-related programs. Formed last September, the task force, comprising federal prosecutors and 11 federal agencies, has been working tirelessly to identify and bring to justice individuals who have exploited the pandemic for personal gain. As of the present moment, the task force has charged a dozen defendants with criminal offenses and obtained civil judgments against three defendants, resulting in a total of over $7 million in fraud associated with the cases.

Key Takeaways:

  • The COVID-19 Fraud Task Force, formed in September, has charged 12 defendants with crimes totaling over $7 million in fraud.
  • The task force, comprising federal prosecutors and 11 agencies, has prosecuted cases related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), Unemployment Insurance (UI), and Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).
  • Key defendants include Lawrence Sikutwa, who was sentenced to 30 months for bank fraud and money laundering, and Valentin Lapatskiy, who was sentenced to 15 months for wire fraud after obtaining over $300,000 in EIDLs through false and fraudulent applications.
  • Other notable defendants include Anubor Bagbi, who pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and bank fraud, and Craig Marlow, who was indicted for wire fraud and allegedly obtained over $900,000 in EIDL program proceeds through false and fraudulent applications.
  • Multiple other defendants have been charged with various crimes related to the pandemic, with some still awaiting sentencing.

Statistics:

  • Total amount of fraud associated with cases: over $7 million
  • Number of defendants charged: 12
  • Number of civil judgments obtained: 3
  • Total number of agencies within the COVID-19 Fraud Task Force: 11
  • Total amounts of PPP, EIDL, and CFAP funds allegedly obtained through false applications: $1.9 million, $926,700, and $114,557.19 respectively

Sources:

  • [BOISE, Idaho] - U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho
  • [U.S. Department of Justice] - National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 and the NCDF Web Complaint Form

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